Kozo Okamoto, 1972 Lod Airport Attack Perpetrator, Dies in Beirut

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced on Thursday the death of Kozo Okamoto, one of the attackers involved in the 1972 massacre at Lod Airport, now Ben Gurion Airport. Okamoto died in the Dahieh district of Beirut, an area controlled by Hezbollah. He was a member of the Japanese communist terrorist group Red Army and acted on behalf of the PFLP, which maintained close ties with the Japanese organization.

On May 30, 1972, Okamoto and two other militants arrived at Lod Airport on an Air France flight. After landing, they drew weapons from their luggage and attacked passengers, killing 24 people and injuring 71. The two other attackers were killed during the incident, while Okamoto was wounded, captured, and arrested by Israeli security forces. He was sentenced in Israel to three life terms plus ten years but served approximately 13 years.

In 1985, Okamoto was released as part of the Jibril prisoner exchange deal, which freed security prisoners in return for three Israeli soldiers. After his release, he moved to Lebanon, where he lived under Hezbollah’s protection. The Japanese government repeatedly requested his extradition, but Lebanon refused. Okamoto rarely appeared in public. The PFLP confirmed his death in Dahieh, where he had resided in recent years under Lebanese protection.